Trap Bar Deficit Deadlift 101 Video Tutorial
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Exercise Synopsis
Target Muscle Group
Hamstrings
Secondary Targets
Abs, Adductors, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lats, Lower Back, Quads, Traps, Upper Back
Execution
Compound
Force Type
Hinge (Bilateral)
Required Equipment
Trap Bar
Fitness Level
Intermediate
Variations
None
Alternatives
None
Timer
Hour
Minute
Second
Stopwatch
00:00:00:00
Overview
The Trap Bar Deficit Deadlift is a variation of the conventional deadlift that primarily targets the hamstrings while also engaging several secondary muscle groups, including the glutes, quads, forearms, abs, adductors, calves, traps, lats, and lower back. By using a trap bar and performing the lift from an elevated position (often with a deficit), this exercise increases the range of motion, emphasizing the posterior chain, particularly the hamstrings and glutes. The trap bar’s design allows for a more neutral grip and less stress on the lower back, making it a safer alternative for those with lower back concerns while still delivering a full-body workout.
How to Perform
Position yourself inside the trap bar with your feet hip-width apart, standing on a 1-2.5” platform to slightly elevate your feet off the ground.
Hinge at the hips and push them back, lowering your torso until it's nearly parallel to the floor.
Reach down and grip the handles of the trap bar with a neutral grip, ensuring your hands are positioned just outside shoulder width.
Take a deep breath and gently pull up on the bar, letting your hips drop slightly in a seesaw motion. This is known as "pulling the slack out of the bar."
As you drop your hips and pull on the bar, engage your lats by imagining you're squeezing oranges under your armpits, ensuring your armpits are directly over the bar.
Push through the entire foot, focusing on driving the floor away from you to initiate the lift.
Maintain a straight bar path, extending your knees and hips simultaneously.
Once your hips are fully extended, reverse the motion by pushing your hips back and hinging forward.
Lower the bar back to the floor, reset your position, and repeat the movement for the desired number of reps.
Tips
For a deficit trap bar deadlift, keep the deficit between 1-2.5 inches for regular use. A higher deficit can push your knees forward, affecting your technique over time.
Your stance width should match your natural jumping position. Position your feet where you feel powerful and ensure your knees stay aligned over your feet.
To keep the bar close to your body and ensure it travels in a straight line, focus on engaging your lats. Use cues like "squeeze oranges under your armpits," "put your shoulder blades in your back pockets," or "imagine performing a straight-arm pulldown."
Lower your hips so they are beneath your shoulders. You should be able to see the logo on your shirt before initiating the pull. This chest-up position is typically achieved by locking in the lats, so the cue is often unnecessary if you’re familiar with activating them.
Ensure your knees track over your feet. If your knees tend to collapse inward, focus on "spreading the floor" by pushing your feet apart as you press into the floor. This will activate your glutes and stabilize your knee joints.
Keep your armpits directly over the bar and midfoot for proper bar alignment and to allow the bar to move smoothly.
Neck position varies by individual. If you have a more extended posture, you may benefit from tucking your chin. If you tend to be flexion-dominant, especially in your thoracic spine, looking slightly upward may promote more extension. Experiment to find what feels best for your body mechanics.
For the trap bar deadlift, your shins will be angled forward more than in other deadlift variations. This will put more load on your quads as your ankle will be dorsiflexed at the start.
New lifters should focus on "pulling the slack out of the bar," but experienced lifters may not need to emphasize this as much, as long as they are still able to lift maximal weight.
Toe angle should be adjusted based on your hip anatomy. Experiment with slightly inward, outward, or neutral positioning to find what feels most comfortable.
Avoid retracting your shoulder blades, as this shortens your arm length and reduces efficiency, making the lift more difficult.
Always wrap your thumb around the bar, avoiding a false grip. Grip the bar as tightly as possible, as if you’re trying to leave an imprint of your fingerprints on it.
Ensure your hands are positioned in the center of the handles to prevent the bar from tilting during the lift.
Rather than focusing on the heels, distribute your weight across the whole foot, ensuring contact with the big toe, little toe, and heel. This will engage your quads more effectively and help with speed off the floor.
Keep your elbows locked out throughout the movement. Avoid flexing the triceps, but ensure your elbows don’t break neutral, which could increase the risk of a bicep injury under heavy loads.
For single reps, it’s easier to drop the bar from the lockout position, especially if you're using bumper plates or lifting on a platform. However, for multiple reps, lower the bar with control to avoid over-fatiguing your spinal erectors.
If you're weak at lockout, consider incorporating rack pulls, Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), or pulls against chains or bands. For weakness off the floor, include paused or deficit deadlifts, along with supplementary work for your upper back and glutes.
How Not to Perform
Avoid Rounding Your Back: Do not round your lower back during the lift. Keep your spine neutral by engaging your core and activating your lats. Rounding can put unnecessary stress on the lower back and lead to injury.
Don’t Let the Bar Drift Away from Your Body: Ensure the bar stays close to your shins throughout the movement. Allowing the bar to drift forward wastes energy and can strain your lower back. Focus on squeezing your lats to keep the bar aligned with your body.
Don’t Overextend Your Knees: Do not let your knees move too far forward over your toes. Keep your knees aligned with your feet to avoid putting excess strain on your knees and to maintain a proper lifting posture.
Avoid Jerking the Bar: Do not use jerking or swinging movements to lift the bar. Focus on a smooth, controlled lift to prevent unnecessary energy expenditure and ensure the targeted muscles are properly engaged.
Don’t Start with Your Hips Too High or Low: Avoid positioning your hips too high or too low before initiating the lift. Keep your hips in a position that allows you to maintain a neutral spine and engage the hamstrings, glutes, and quads effectively.
Avoid Looking Up or Down Too Much: Keep your neck in a neutral position. Do not excessively tilt your head upward or downward, as this can cause strain in the neck and upper back. A slight gaze forward is typically best.
Don’t Let Your Shoulders Round Forward: Keep your shoulders pulled back and down. Avoid letting them round forward, as this reduces the efficiency of the lift and puts unnecessary strain on your upper back.
Don’t Lock Your Elbows Too Early: Avoid locking your elbows at the start of the movement. While the elbows should stay straight, do not actively try to lock them, as this can reduce your range of motion and make the lift less efficient.
Don’t Focus Only on the Heels: Avoid placing all your weight on your heels. Focus on maintaining balance across the whole foot (big toe, little toe, and heel) to engage your quads and posterior chain more effectively.
Don’t Overgrip the Bar: Avoid using an excessively tight grip that causes unnecessary tension in your forearms. While you should grip the bar firmly, don’t focus on gripping so tightly that it detracts from your overall movement and energy.
Avoid Losing Tension Between Reps: After each rep, don’t let the bar just drop to the floor. Maintain tension in your muscles throughout the movement, even when returning the bar to the ground, to prevent wasting energy and to ensure a controlled lift.
Don’t Perform the Lift Without a Warm-Up: Never skip a proper warm-up before attempting heavy trap bar deadlifts. Jumping straight into heavy lifting can lead to muscle strain and improper technique.
Variations
Variations of fitness exercises refer to different ways of performing a specific exercise or movement to target various muscle groups, intensities, or goals. These variations aim to challenge the body differently, prevent plateaus, and cater to individuals with varying fitness levels.
Alternatives
Alternative exercises in fitness refer to different movements or activities that target similar muscle groups or serve the same training purpose as the primary exercise. These alternative exercises can be used as substitutes when the original exercise is unavailable or challenging to perform due to various reasons such as equipment limitations, injuries, or personal preferences.
